In the Meantime
by Spirish16
Summary: Reconciliation is a slow process, and Anna finds herself getting impatient.


In the Meantime

Summary: Reconciliation is a slow process, and Anna finds herself getting impatient.

Pairings: Not intended to be a pairing, but go ahead and read/review it as Elsanna if it tickles your fancy.

Disclaimer: Not mine, all Disney's.

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The quiet _chink_ of silverware against china was the only sound that filled the air in the extensive dining room. Anna sat quietly in her seat at the long and intricately carved wooden table, fidgeting slightly as she pushed her uneaten and undesired food around her plate. She had eyes only for her sister.

Elsa was sat across from Anna at the head of the table in a way that most would describe as dignified, but Anna could only see as stiff. This was the first meal the two had shared in years, and the stress of it was starting to show in the subtle tension in Elsa's shoulders. She was slowly and methodically separating the foods she desired from those she would rather ignore. Memories, distant and faded, of her sister being a picky eater surfaced, and Anna was strangely warmed to see that this had not changed. Even though it was such a small thing, it made her feel that much closer to her sister; a closeness, she'd discovered, that was far more difficult to rekindle than she would have liked.

"So…" Anna drawled, finally unable to take the silence she was sure was slowly suffocating her. She racked her brain trying to think of something to say, wanting nothing more than to run to her sister's side and encase her in the warmest, longest hug while bombarding her with every question, every _I love you_, every _why?_ she'd wanted to say for so long but couldn't. But for all her inexperience in matters like this, it was hard to ignore the way Elsa flinched nearly every time she was touched. So she stayed where she was and tried to think of something, anything, that would open up conversation between the two.

"How was your day?" she finally settled on, wincing at how banal that sounded, but unable to think of anything else without any common ground to inspire her. It was getting harder and harder to fight off the bitter, sinking feeling that came with the realization that she was talking to a stranger.

It took Elsa a moment to respond, her head snapping up in surprise as being addressed directly in a way that would have been funny were it not so tragic. "My day went well," she finally said. "Meetings, lots of meetings. Mostly the lords worried about damage control." She had been speaking absentmindedly, but Anna could see her sister physically curl in on herself slightly when she realized she'd brought up the 'Great Freeze'.

Anna could sense that the conversation was over.

It had only been a week since the aforementioned incident, so Anna was not sure why she'd been expecting everything to have changed by now, but she had, and it was only making the disappointment worse. To be sure, things were much better than they were. Elsa had stayed by her promise, and the castle gates had stayed open. The ice rink was now a permanent addition, excepting a path that had been cut from the bridge to the castle doors, and Anna often enjoyed going to play with the children who lingered throughout the day. Kristoff had been moved to an apartment near the castle, close by the stables to allow him easy access to Sven, and Elsa had given her wholehearted approval of their courting. Even between the sisters themselves things were better. Elsa's door remained open more often than it was shut, and every time Anna knocked, she was never turned away. They made it a point to spend at least some time together every day; walks in the gardens, reading stories in the library, and there had even been several nights where Elsa had given Anna skating lessons, to varying degrees of success.

But three years was a long time for anyone to be alone, and Anna was trying to remember that Elsa had been alone, for all intents and purposes, for the last thirteen. They were still trying to feel their way around their new relationship, slowly but surely picking up more information about the other and guarding it in their memories like a pile of gold.

"But forget about my day," Elsa said suddenly, and Anna had to fight off a shiver of awe and a tiny bit of fear when she could just barely see traces of frost disappearing from around Elsa's plate. It was still rather startling to be reminded that her sister was _magic._

"It was all really boring. Tell me about yours. You said you were going to the market this morning?"

_Oh Elsa,_ Anna thought fondly. She really was trying. So Anna jumped into her story, embellishing most of the details to make it both longer and more interesting, hoping to catch Elsa's interest and keep her there for just a little bit longer. But as the hour grew later, Anna could see her sister's eyes beginning to droop, as much as she tried to fight it for decorum's sake. She didn't think she did a very good job of hiding the disappointment on her face when Elsa stood up.

"I'm sorry Anna, but I think I'm going to head to bed," Elsa said, gently, as though afraid of how her sister would react.

"Oh," Anna said, disappointed, before reminding herself harshly that she was being selfish. As Queen, Elsa needed her rest. She had almost convinced herself of this when she felt a pair of cold hands settle around her shoulders. Anna had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Elsa making her way around the table towards her. Her sister was crouched slightly, her arms wrapped around her so that their shoulders were touching. It was a brief, somewhat awkward half hug, but it was the most contact Elsa had initiated on her own that Anna could remember. She stepped back rather quickly, but Anna was surprised once again when she felt Elsa's cool lips on her forehead, before hearing her whisper, "Goodnight Anna."

"Oh! Um, yeah, goodnight to you too. Sweet dreams and, uh, all that stuff."

Elsa laughed softly as her sister stumbled through a 'goodnight' before turning and exiting the room. Anna watched her go with a small smile on her face. While it was true that in her daydreams, she and Elsa would be having sleepovers by now, eating far too much chocolate and talking the night away, making up for thirteen years of lost opportunities, she just had to accept that it would take a little more time. But she refused to give up hope that they'd get there one day. And she supposed that, in the meantime, the feel of her sister's cold hands in hers and the sight of her small, yet genuine, smiles would be enough.

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AN: Just something short and sweet to get me back into the swing of writing. Absolutely loved the movie, and found Elsa's character endlessly fascinating. She seemed remarkably well adjusted by the end of the movie. If I were her, I probably would have slipped into insanity long ago, so I felt like writing something that touched on how difficult it would be to readjust after all that time. Hope you enjoyed! And if the feels move you to do so, leave a review. I haven't written in years, and would like some perspective on how I did.


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